System and method for supporting chassis level keep alive in NVMe-oF based system

Abstract

A chassis is disclosed. The chassis may include a processor, a switch, and at least one storage device in communication with a remote processor. The storage device may support an active power mode and a low power mode. A response to a Keep Alive (KA) message may be sent to the remote processor on behalf of the storage device when the storage device is in low power mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a chassis; 
 a processor in the chassis; 
 a switch in the chassis; 
 a storage device in the chassis, the storage device including a storage and a controller configured to store data in the storage based at least in part on a write request received from a remote processor outside the chassis and to retrieve data from the storage based at least in part on a read request from the remote processor, the storage device communicating with the remote processor through the switch, the storage device supporting an active power mode and a low power mode, wherein the remote processor sends a message to the storage device and the storage device is in the low power mode; and 
 a component configured to receive from the switch a message sent from the remote processor to the storage device and to generate and send a response to the message to the remote processor, the response based at least in part on a content of the message, 
 wherein the component includes the processor or a management controller, and 
 wherein the switch is configured to direct commands addressed to the storage device in the low power mode to the component. 
 
     
     
       2. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage device includes a Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) Solid State Drive (SSD). 
     
     
       3. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the component includes the management controller. 
 
     
     
       4. The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the storage device is configured to inform the management controller based at least in part on the storage device entering the low power mode. 
     
     
       5. The system according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the storage device is further configured to inform the management controller of a state of the storage device based at least in part on the storage device entering the low power mode; and 
 the management controller is configured to include the state of the storage device in the response to the message. 
 
     
     
       6. The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the management controller is configured to program the switch to direct commands addressed to the storage device in the active power mode to the storage device. 
     
     
       7. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the component is configured to generate a second response to a second message sent from the remote processor to the storage device and to send the second response to the remote processor based at least in part on the storage device being in the active power mode, the second response based at least in part on a second content of the second message. 
     
     
       8. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the component is configured to send a management command to the storage device based at least in part on the storage device remaining in the low power mode; and 
 the storage device is configured to execute the management command in the low power mode. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the message includes a Keep Alive message. 
     
     
       10. A system, comprising:
 a storage device; 
 a switch; and 
 an apparatus, including:
 a receiver to receive a message from a remote processor via the switch, the message intended for the storage device; 
 a first circuit to generate a response to the message, the response based at least in part on a content of the message; and 
 a transmitter to send a response to the remote processor, 
 
 wherein the storage device includes a storage and a controller configured to store data in the storage based at least in part on a write request received from the remote processor and to retrieve data from the storage based at least in part on a read request from the remote processor, and 
 wherein the switch includes a routing table to route the message from the remote processor intended for the storage device in a low power mode to the apparatus, the switch separate from the apparatus. 
 
     
     
       11. The system according to  claim 10 , further comprising a device status table storing information about a status of the storage device. 
     
     
       12. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the device status table is configured to store a state of the storage device. 
     
     
       13. The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the first circuit is configured to generate the response to the message based at least in part on the state stored in the device status table. 
     
     
       14. The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the storage device includes a Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) Solid State Drive (SSD). 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is configured to generate and send the response based at least in part on the storage device being in an active power mode. 
     
     
       16. The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is separate from the storage device.